GearJunkie Goes Full Suspension on the Slopes: ShredShox First Look Review

I stood on the edge of the catwalk, looking down at the moguls below me. I bounced experimentally on the air shocks beneath my feet, which compressed slightly under my weight. This was my third run with the ShredShox platform system, and I was just starting to get a feel for it.

It wasn’t throwing my skiing off — as I had admittedly expected. But the system was so different I still wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

I pushed over the edge and dropped into the run. So far, I’d only skied on groomers with the ShredShox. But as I navigated the bumps, the system surprised me again. My skiing was quick and fairly nimble descending over that terrain. I wasn’t bogged down too badly by the extra weight. Nor did I get bounced or bucked when I picked up speed and hit the moguls hard.

That would become a pattern all day. I went into that demo with an open — but very skeptical — mind. And again and again, as I skied around Vail, ShredShox surprised me.

I wasn’t about to pull out my wallet and buy one for every pair of skis I own, like some people have already, according to Jarrod Krisilioff, head of brand at ShredShox. But by mid-afternoon, I found myself looking for reasons (excuses) to take another run with them.

In short: The ShredShox binding platform system ($500) uses air shocks on skis, suspending the skier above their planks to absorb forces, decrease chatter, and improve one’s endurance. The system is heavy. They also pose some logistical problems for ski shop maintenance, transit, and ski rack storage. But for skiers who need a more cushioned ride or gear heads who like to nerd out on high-tech adjustable equipment, ShredShox could be a fun upgrade to your setup. They impacted my skiing experience in ways I didn’t expect.

ShredShox Full Suspension Platform: First Look Review

When it comes to downhill ski gear and equipment in general, I tend to be a bit of a purist. I don’t need electric rechargeable self-heating gloves. I like a tight-fitting downhill ski boot — no BOA, thank you. And I’ll never be able to convince myself to buy a pair of app-pairing skis with digital trackers in them.

By the same token, I love trying out genuinely creative and innovative gear. It’s cool when brands swing for the fences with new technology. Sometimes, it falls flat, crashes, burns, and gets left behind. Other times, though, it changes the future of a sport or activity, as the pin ski binding system did for backcountry skiing.

When I wrote about ShredShox for GearJunkie last week and spoke with Krisiloff for the first time, I was immediately intrigued and eager to try the new system. So, Krisiloff met me in Vail for a demo day. He set me up with a pair of skis mounted with a pre-production prototype of the ShredShox system. I’m 170 pounds, so he set my psi to 70 in the front shock and 60 in the rear.

Then, we were off. I hit the slopes, ready to see what this eye-catching new technology was all about.

The First Few Turns

Clipping into the ShredShox system is no different than stepping into a standard pair of downhill skis. The bindings are mounted on the ShredShox carbon platform underfoot, which is then mounted to the skis.

You can feel the weight of the ShredShox system as soon as you step into it. The prototype model I was on weighed 2.75 pounds per foot. Nick Foster, the founder and designer of ShredShox, told GearJunkie that he aims to reduce that weight by ~0.6 pounds in the production models.

Sliding on flat terrain and moving slowly felt a little sluggish with the ShredShox. But after about two turns on the first groomer, I felt the shocks starting to engage. As I picked up speed and started slashing into my carved turns harder, the rebound clearly returned some of the energy I put into the skis. Coming out of the apex of a turn, I could feel greater acceleration.

That was a pattern I picked up on every run: The first few turns weren’t special. But once I picked up some speed, the ShredShox system engaged, and it was game on. The ride was smooth. It was fun to really lay into a turn and feel the rebound beneath me. I had great control of the skis, and the turns were still smooth and came naturally.

Choppy Conditions & Variable Terrain

This is where the system shined, in my opinion. When I found myself picking up speed over chopped-up crud, chunder, and hardpack bumps, there was notable damping. At one point, I hit the lip of a ditch I hadn’t seen while going faster than intended.

Had I been on my regular ski setup, I would have felt my brain rattle inside my skull (you know the feeling). But the ShredShox damped that impact enough that I was unphased.

Similarly, when ripping through moguls, the shocks damped the impact. I didn’t feel quite as nimble as I normally do. But I was also suprised by how little the extra weight seemed to affect my control and agility.

Let me be clear, though: This doesn’t feel like a waterbed under your feet. After riding on ShredShox for a day, I wouldn’t compare it to a full-suspension mountain bike. You still feel the bumps and terrain under your feet. You can still feel the impacts and changing snow conditions. And that’s a good thing. If these shocks totally muted the foot feel, it would be like wearing a blindfold and trying to ski.

Jumping

Going into this test, I wondered whether these shocks could improve one’s jumping capabilities. Mountain bike shocks certainly do, but I didn’t find that to be the case. In fact, I found jumping to be harder because of the significant additional weight.

Where the ShredShocks did help with jumps was on the landing. Again, the shocks absorbed much of that impact, and I could immediately tell the difference.

Reducing Fatigue

ShredShox also claims that this system can improve a skier’s endurance by reducing muscle and joint fatigue. I ski a lot and tend to have high endurance, so it’s hard for me to weigh in on this one, especially having only ridden the ShredShox one day.

The brand claims that its system is easier on your body, making it possible to ski longer and harder than you normally would. I agree that ShredShox could help in this regard, especially for reducing impact and returning energy on carved turns.

However, the weight of this system also needs to be considered. You are skiing with a significantly heavier setup on your feet, which could contribute to muscle fatigue.

Adjusting the System

Naturally, a techy system like this has some techy adjustment options. I already mentioned that the psi needs to be set for the rider’s body weight. ShredShox has a table explaining how to set that on its website.

The rebound also makes a big difference. A faster rebound is more active and will absorb more force from chatter, bumps, and chop. Krisiloff explained that this is better for on-piste skiing, carving on groomers, and skiing in relatively smooth terrain. A slower rebound is better for bumps and more variable terrain. That took me a minute to wrap my head around.

Krisiloff explained that if you leave the shocks in slow rebound mode and try to slash high-angle carves, you might feel like you get stuck in the turn. Vice versa: if you use a faster rebound in bumps, it could feel like you’re getting bucked or bounced around.

Then, there are the damping adjustments. I didn’t play around with these too much, but ShredShox has specific recommendations for different situations. For example, if you want more edge feel and rebound while holding and releasing an edge, you should increase the damping setting. If you’re fatigued by bumps and crud, you should decrease your damping setting in the rear to reduce vibration feedback.

For true gearheads and ski nerds, this could be a lot of fun. Some people get into dialing a system for specific terrain and conditions. Likewise, if you have joint problems, having an adjustable system you can dial to your ability and comfort level could help some people a lot.

For purists and minimalists, though, it could be a major turnoff. Personally, I don’t want to adjust my skis every time I change the terrain. But it will really depend on the skier.

Improvements Coming

Before I get to the “Critical Feedback” section, I want to note again that I was riding a pre-production prototype of ShredShoxs (Gen 6). The brand is currently offering the system on pre-sale, and the production models (Gen 7) will ship out sometime in February. It’s aiming to get its first 500 deposits before they start shipping.

According to Foster, the production models will be lighter, use more composite materials, and have a slightly different profile. On top of that, ShredShox will be using a different air shock from another reputable brand.

ShredShox Full-Suspension Platform: Critical Feedback

One of the first things I wondered when I saw the system was, “How will ski shops tune these things?” Indeed, when I asked a shop manager, he said skis with the ShredShox system wouldn’t fit on shops’ machines. That means any ski with ShredShox must be hand-ground by the shop.

If ShredShox takes off, that will eventually change with new technology. But for now, it’s so new and different that ski shops must do some workarounds. By the same token, if something goes wrong with this system, you must send it back to ShredShox for repair.

The only real structural concern I had while skiing on ShredShox was damaging the shocks themselves. Skis sometimes bash against each other, and downhill bindings can take some serious beatings. With the ShredShox, I noticed that the edges weren’t hitting the binding but the shock at the front. I couldn’t help but wonder if that could present a structural risk if they took enough damage over time.

However, Krisiloff assured me they’ve had no structural issues with the shocks in testing thus far.

Finally, I’ve got to call out the issues with transport and storage. The ShredShox system doesn’t just add weight to the skis; it adds bulk, too. If carrying a regular pair of skis is similar to having a rifle over one shoulder, carrying a pair of ShredShox skis feels like carrying a bazooka.

It’s heavy, and there’s no way to carry it that isn’t awkward. As for storage, whether they’re on a ski rack or in your garage, ShredShox skis take up real estate.

The Cool Factor

There’s one major elephant in the room with the ShredShox: they have a look. And while it’s generally good advice to not worry much about what others think of you while skiing, we’re all human. The ShredShox are likely to grab attention, and it may or may not be the kind of attention you want on the hill or in the lift line.

If you’re one of those “dance like nobody’s watching” folks, well, rock on with your crazy self. But if you’re a little more self-conscious, these might be a bit more of a statement than you’re willing to make, cushy skis or not.

ShredShox Full-Suspension Platform: The Final Word

By the end of the day, I’d skied around 10 runs with the ShredShox system. It was one of the most interesting tests I’ve done in a long time. There was so much about the ShredShox system to take note of, I could have spent the rest of the week with them. But even in a single day, it had damped my skepticism. I could see the potential in this system and why the brand was pursuing the technology.

True purists, minimalists, and most budget skiers will scoff at this system. But for skiers who really like to nerd out on techy gear, or for those who need to reduce the impact of the sport on their bodies, I think this could be a promising new technology. Of course, there are still some kinks to work out. But any technology like this needs time to get dialed, refined, and perfected.

After I’d returned the ShredShox skis, I took my regular skis out for a control test. It felt good to be back on a familiar feeling ski/binding system. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that missed the feeling of the ShredShox.